Paul Freeman

Partner

Overview

Paul Freeman is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s New York office and a member of the firm’s Environment and Natural Resources and Government Contracts groups. He brings two decades of diverse experience advising clients in the energy, maritime, and aerospace and defense industries on a range of issues, with a primary emphasis on matters involving enforcement defense, litigation, and risk management.

Paul routinely advises clients in response to investigations by, or inquiries from, a range of regulators, primarily the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and also including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and state attorneys general.
 
Over the past several years Paul has represented a wide range of fuel suppliers, commodities traders, and other market participants in matters arising under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, including the RFS Quality Assurance Program and the ongoing representation of clients currently confronting enforcement by EPA and DOJ under the RFS regime. 

Extending his risk management and investigations practice across multiple industrial sectors, Paul also counsels Fortune 50 defense contractors on compliance with aspects of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), including the mandatory disclosure rule, and he routinely conducts internal investigations involving supply chain risks, ethics, quality systems, contract compliance, and potential false claims.

Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Paul was counsel at a major global law firm.

Career & Education

    • Environmental Protection Agency
      Office of General Counsel Honors Program, 1997
    • Environmental Protection Agency
      Office of General Counsel Honors Program, 1997
    • Vermont Law School, M.S.E.L., cum laude, 2001
    • Vermont Law School, J.D., 1998
    • St. Lawrence University, B.A., cum laude, 1995
    • Vermont Law School, M.S.E.L., cum laude, 2001
    • Vermont Law School, J.D., 1998
    • St. Lawrence University, B.A., cum laude, 1995
    • New York
    • Connecticut
    • District of Columbia
    • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
    • New York
    • Connecticut
    • District of Columbia
    • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

Paul's Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 07.11.25

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Cases Seeking to Narrow Citizen Suit Enforcement in Federal Environmental Case – Leaving Doors Wide Open

The Supreme Court declined to hear two key federal environmental enforcement cases, effectively leaving in place lower court rulings that allow for broad private citizen enforcement under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Because of the Court’s denials, citizen plaintiffs remain free to pursue enforcement cases in the absence of governmental enforcement, thus companies remain at risk of being sued by active watchdog citizen groups....

Recognition

  • Law360: Practice Group of the Year – Government Contracts, 2019

Paul's Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 07.11.25

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Cases Seeking to Narrow Citizen Suit Enforcement in Federal Environmental Case – Leaving Doors Wide Open

The Supreme Court declined to hear two key federal environmental enforcement cases, effectively leaving in place lower court rulings that allow for broad private citizen enforcement under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Because of the Court’s denials, citizen plaintiffs remain free to pursue enforcement cases in the absence of governmental enforcement, thus companies remain at risk of being sued by active watchdog citizen groups....

Paul's Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 07.11.25

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Cases Seeking to Narrow Citizen Suit Enforcement in Federal Environmental Case – Leaving Doors Wide Open

The Supreme Court declined to hear two key federal environmental enforcement cases, effectively leaving in place lower court rulings that allow for broad private citizen enforcement under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Because of the Court’s denials, citizen plaintiffs remain free to pursue enforcement cases in the absence of governmental enforcement, thus companies remain at risk of being sued by active watchdog citizen groups....